Aquila^® Hops

Developed in the 1970s at Parma, Idaho, by Dr. Robert R. Romanko, Aquila^® (USDA Accession No. 21222) is an elusive American cultivar bred as an open-pollinated seedling of a Brewer's Gold mother plant. This variety initially captured major commercial momentum in the late 1980s, scaling up to 100-acre testing fields across Washington state by 1988 to undergo rigorous, plant-scale brewing evaluations for industry giant Anheuser-Busch. Although the United States Department of Agriculture officially released the hop to the public in 1994, its commercial lifespan was incredibly short-lived. A combination of subpar storage stability, high cohumulone levels, and a sudden loss of interest from Anheuser-Busch caused production to grind to a halt and the hop to be entirely discontinued by 1996. Today, Aquila^® exists primarily as a fascinating historical artifact within public germplasm banks, standing as a relic of late-20th-century Pacific Northwest brewing trials.

The sensory blueprint of Aquila^® delivers a rustic, old-school profile that anchors a traditional brew with an unpretentious, clean herbal focus. The aromatic footprint leads with a mild, comforting core of fresh-cut field grass, dried wildflowers, and damp, clean earth. This subtle botanical foundation is cleanly punctuated by a crisp, restrained wave of bitter orange peel and warm woody spice, keeping the overall presentation thoroughly grounded in classic, noble-adjacent characteristics. Because its essential oils completely lack the flashy tropical, juicy, or heavy sweet fruit notes found in modern craft hybrids, it provides a very straightforward and nostalgic presence. While its fragile storage qualities and elevated cohumulone composition demand strict freshness to avoid a harsh, biting finish, a well-preserved sample offers a beautifully authentic glimpse into the classic bittering and aromatic frameworks of vintage macro lagers.